Two weeks ago, a senior European diplomat arrived in Washington with a message from the Iranian government. The Iranians saw a parallel between the case of captive American journalist Roxana Saberi and that of three Iranian diplomats held by the U.S. military in Iraq. The Iranians were not demanding an exchange of prisoners, the European envoy told TIME, but were setting up a more subtle test of the Obama Administration's intentions. Now that Saberi has been released, Tehran will be watching the U.S. reaction for signs of a reciprocal goodwill gesture.
We grab three Iranian terrorists operating under diplomatic cover and an innocent reporter's arrest is the same thing?!
By all means, reciprocate. Arrest an Iranian at random, try him, convict him, then release him on parole. That my friends, would be "reciprocal."
This is not an open hand being extended to us.
